


Don't Leave Me

by Captain_Lexa



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 14:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4750289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Lexa/pseuds/Captain_Lexa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Requested by ya-boy-kayyno on Tumblr: Matt is in the mines & finds Josh having a breakdown, so he helps him & it ends up with Sam finding Matt cuddling with Josh so he calms down (Fluff/Angst)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> AU: Matt goes back for Josh (Could maybe be read as either pre-established Matt/Josh or just bros. I think you all know which I take it as, though.)

“Josh?” Matt called cautiously, voice not raising much above a whisper as he waded through the dark waters of the mines. This far underground, he couldn’t hear the sounds of the outside world. The blaring wind was lost to his ears, the only real noises being the water lapping against his clothes and the chilled breath leaving his lips in little puffs. “Josh, buddy, c’mon. Where are you?”

He paused as the beam from his flashlight fell on a ledge, leading farther back into the dark cavern. This must of been where Mike was talking about. Where they took Josh.

Bracing himself on the ledge, Matt pulled himself from the water with a small grunt. He didn’t allow himself a chance to rest, pushing forward into the darkness that chilled his skin. “Please, man. Just give me something.” He sighed, dark eyes focused on the floor. He refused to raise them to the ceiling, remembering the scene Sam had described to him. How he would see the body of a stranger dangling from chains just above. The idea of that alone honestly disturbed Matt, but if he were to look now and see the addition of Josh… the idea sent another shiver racing throughout his soaked body.

“C’mon, Matt. Man up a little.” The boy muttered to himself, coming to a stop as he came across a wooden door– pressed open just a crack. Hesitantly poking his head in, he shined the light into the open space. “Josh…?”

A choked sob came in response. “No, no please! Not again- please not again!” A familiar voice cried, sounding hoarse from either tears or screaming. Maybe even both.

“Josh, man. It’s me. It’s Matt.” He called, quickly entering the room, eyes darting everywhere in search of the man behind the voice.

“Matt?” The voice came again, sounding more confused now than he had before. “No, no…. I-I’ve never seen you before. Not in my head, no.” Towards the end, his words started to sound more frustrated, almost as if he were angry with himself. Matt was instantly reminded of the image Sam had painted for the group before he left to find Josh. How when she and Mike had found Josh, he looked lost, talking to the space in front of him as if it would talk back. Matt could only imagine what was going on in his friend’s mind if this was the sort of place that reflected it.

“Are you gone?” Josh asked timidly, even his quiet voice echoing throughout the cavern. “I- I don’t want to be alone, again. Even if it’s just in my head.”

Matt’s heart seized at the words. “No, no man. I’m here. I’m always here, Josh. Just… just come out where I can see you. I’m here to help.”

The harsh breathing that gave away Josh’s tears came to a gradual stop, replaced by the distant sounds of someone moving against the earth. “Josh?”

Not much longer after he spoke, the boy was stepping into his line of vision. The kid’s face was marked with dirt and dried blood from the scratches and scrapes gifted to him by the long night. “Josh.” Matt repeated, his voice a breath of relief as he threw his arms around the other boy.

The reaction was immediate. Josh had tensed in his arms, nearly pulling away in fear of what his mind might conjure up next. Matt though, he wouldn’t allow this. The jock held his friend closer, hand cupping the back of Josh’s neck and guiding his face to the crook of his neck. “No, c’mon. It’s fine. It’s all fine, Josh. You’re okay, man. I promise.”

The words must have had the desired affect because just a few seconds later, Josh was surrendering to his actions. He had practically collapsed into Matt’s chest, exhausted beyond belief both mentally and physically. “It was Hannah.” He drawled miserably, voice muffled by the letterman jacket he buried his face in. “It was Hannah, Matt. I-It was really her this time, I know it. She was real.”

The words were shaky at best, escaping in a rush, as if Josh were trying to force them out before he succumbed to tears again. By the sounds of it, the possibility wasn’t so unlikely. “I know, Josh. I know. They told me.”

Matt sighed, the hand that was currently resting on the back of Josh’s neck, easing up to stroke over the dark hair before him. He wasn’t sure what to say. What could possibly make this any better? What could ever ease the pain of his friend, who stood trembling in his arms?

“They– They left me. Mike, I went to help him when he went under, but when it–” A strangled, helpless sort of sound left Josh’s chest, as he lifted his head to meet Matt’s eyes. “-when Hannah took me, he didn’t- he didn’t come for me.” Tears now fell steadily down Josh’s face, and his body heaved with silent sobs. “He didn’t come back for me. Is it… Is it because of the prank? I-I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry. I didn’t– you guys know I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

The longer he spoke, the more lost Josh seemed to become. His eyes, though passionate, grew vacant as he pleaded. As if he were becoming less sure of the real world, caught in the past that would haunt them for years to come. “Josh?” Matt took the boy’s face between his hands when he was unresponsive, forcing those gorgeous eyes to meet his. “Josh.” He tried again, firmer this time. “You listen to me, now. We don’t care. We don’t care about any of that, or at least… at least I don’t. The only thing that matters right now is you, you got that?”

A feeble nod came in response, and Matt was glad to see those eyes refocus on him. “I… I got it. I got it.”

The assurance brought some relief, but not enough for Matt to relax quite yet. “Okay. Let’s get out of here then.” He moved to pull away, starting towards the door he came from, but a soft thud brought him to a halt.

“No, no, no. Please, please don’t leave me. Don’t leave me here.” Josh cried miserably, “Don’t leave me alone. I don’t wanna be alone anymore, please….”

Turning back towards the boy, Matt could see he had fallen to his knees, face hidden behind those large hands. He, himself didn’t spare a second to think before he too dropped to the ground, closing the space between them. “I’m not leaving you, Josh. I promise, I’m not leaving you.” He swore, quickly grasping the misunderstanding. “I’d never leave you– not after today.”

Grimy fists closed around his dirty jacket as Josh dropped again into his friend’s embrace. “Thank you, thank you.” He mumbled, barely audible and on edge. It took a couple minutes of rocking and soothing to calm Josh again, but he did eventually go still. It was almost worrying, until Matt had realized he had fallen asleep.

It was at this point that his own back grew sore and he was forced to ease down, reclining until he was lying on his back. Josh laid draped across his chest, his legs tangled against the soaked pant legs of Matt, just as heavily asleep as he were before. It was… odd, to say the least, but that didn’t mean it felt any less right.

Matt couldn’t recall a time since the disappearance of the twins when Josh ever looked so at peace. Even playing pretend, as he did on this trip, everyone could see something different to him. There was an edge to him there never was before. An edge that was far from present now, his expression soft and seemingly unmarked by the events of the night. Matt just didn’t have the heart to move him. At least not until someone else came to join them.

Distant footsteps drew closer and closer, but Matt ignored them. He remembered the advice to stay still and chose to stay how they were, simply holding Josh closer to his chest.

“Matt? Josh?” A light shown painfully in the awake boy’s eyes, and he tried his hardest not to pull away.

“Ow, Sam!” He whispered loudly, eyes quickly shutting. It took a few more moments before the blue lights swirling behind his eyelids disappeared.

“Shit, sorry.” The girl apologized. It was quiet for another few more moments before she spoke again, coming to a stop in front of the two. “Cozy?” She teased, lips twisted into a wicked smirk. Matt could feel himself flush, just now realizing the compromising position they had been caught in. Hell, his fingers were still caught, petting through the dark hair below.

Several times he opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but found nothing came to mind. Eventually he sighed, settling on a simple three words. “Don’t tell Emily.”


End file.
